EASA to assess PIA flight safety in May

Officials hope agency’s review will result in PIA-EU flight revival

KARACHI:

A delegation led by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Khaqan Murtaza is set to attend a crucial meeting of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) scheduled for mid-May to review the revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations in Europe.

During the meeting, the authority will scrutinize a report on the audit of various departments of the CAA in light of EASA standards. In November 2023, an EASA team visited Pakistan to assess various aspects of the CAA and PIA, including licensing, flight safety, flight standards, and airworthiness.

According to some officials, the CAA has fulfilled all the requirements of the agency, and EASA is likely to lift restrictions on Pakistan after the safety review board meeting. If this occurs, PIA flights to Europe and the UK will resume after a prolonged hiatus.

EASA had imposed a ban on the flight operations of the national flag carrier following a PIA plane crash in Karachi in May 2020. The crash, which claimed 97 lives, later uncovered a scandal regarding the issuance of licenses to commercial pilots without proper evaluation.